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love and boils with desire, finding no satiety in prayer, but always being kindled toward the love of the good and watering the soul with zeal, as has been said: Those who eat me will still hunger, and those who drink me will still thirst, and elsewhere: You have put gladness into my heart. and the Lord: The kingdom of heaven is within you. 8,1.79

What kingdom does he say is within us? What other than the gladness from above which comes to be in souls through the Spirit? For this is like an image and a pledge and a token of the eternal joy, which the souls of the saints will enjoy in the expected age. The Lord, therefore, exhorts us through the working of the Spirit in all our affliction to save and to impart of the spiritual goods and of his own gifts; For he says, He who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction; and My heart and my flesh have exulted in the living God; and May my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness; all these things reveal enigmatically the gladness and consolation from the Spirit. Since, therefore, it has been shown what the aim of piety is which must be set before those who choose to live a God-loving life, which is the purification of the soul and the indwelling of the Spirit through the progress of good works, each of you, according to the 8,1.80 indicated manner, having prepared the soul and having made it full of divine love, let him so give himself to both prayers and <to> fastings according to his own will, remembering the one who exhorts to Pray without ceasing and to Continue steadfastly in prayer, and of the Lord's promise, in which he says: How much more will God avenge those who cry to him day and night; For he says he also spoke a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to lose heart; and that earnestness in prayer bestows great things and indeed causes the Spirit himself to dwell in souls, the apostle clearly shows through the things with which he exhorts us, saying: Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication. so that if any of the brethren gives himself to this part of the virtues, I mean that of prayer, he cares for a good treasure 8,1.81 and loves the greatest possession; only let each do this with an intense and upright conscience, in no way wandering willingly in his mind nor as if paying an involuntary debt by necessity, but fulfilling a love and desire of the soul and showing to all the good fruits of perseverance; and the rest ought to give such a person time and rejoice in the perseverance of his prayer, so that they themselves may also share in the good fruits, since indeed they have become partakers of such a life by rejoicing with him. And the Lord himself will also give to those who ask how they ought to pray, according to what has been said: He who gives prayer to the one praying. Therefore, one must ask and know that the one who perseveres in prayer is contending in the struggle for so great a matter with much earnestness and all his strength. For great prizes require great labors, since especially wickedness lies in wait for such people, meddling from every side and running about and seeking to overturn their earnestness. from there come sleep and heaviness of body and weakness of soul and acedia and negligence and impatience and the other <passions and> workings of wickedness, through which the soul is destroyed, being snatched away piece by piece and deserting to its enemy.

8,1.82 Therefore, reason must preside over the soul like a wise pilot, in no way giving the mind over to the disturbances of the evil spirit nor being carried along with its waves, but looking straight toward the harbor above and giving back the soul unharmed to God who entrusted it and demands it back. For it is not the falling on the knee and being stretched out in the posture of those who are lying for prayer that is excellent and well-pleasing to scripture, while the mind wanders outside of God, but the whole

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ἀγάπην καὶ ζέει τῷ πόθῳ κόρον τῆς εὐχῆς οὐχ εὑρίσκων, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸν ἔρωτα τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἐκκαιόμενος καὶ ἄρδων τῇ προθυμίᾳ τὴν ψυχήν, καθὼς εἴρηται· Οἱ τρώγοντές με ἔτι πεινάσουσι, καὶ οἱ πίνοντές με ἔτι διψή σουσι, καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· Ἔδωκας εὐφροσύνην εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου. καὶ ὁ κύριος· Ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστι. 8,1.79

Τίνα δὲ λέγει βασιλείαν ἐντὸς ἡμῶν εἶναι; τίνα δὲ ἄλλην ἢ τὴν ἄνωθεν διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐγγινομένην ταῖς ψυχαῖς εὐφροσύνην; αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν οἷον εἰκὼν καὶ ἀρρα βὼν καὶ δεῖγμα τῆς αἰωνίου χαρᾶς, ἧς ἀπολαύσουσιν αἱ τῶν ἁγίων ψυχαὶ ἐν τῷ προσδοκωμένῳ αἰῶνι. παρακαλεῖ οὖν ἡμᾶς ὁ κύριος διὰ τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ θλίψει ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ σῶσαι καὶ μεταδοῦναι τῶν πνευματικῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ χαρισμάτων· Ὁ παρακαλῶν γάρ φησιν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ θλίψει ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς παρακαλεῖν τοὺς ἐν πάσῃ θλίψει· καὶ Ἡ καρδία μου καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου ἠγαλλιάσαντο ἐπὶ θεὸν ζῶντα· καὶ Ὡς ἐκ στέατος καὶ πιότητος ἐμπλησθείη ἡ ψυχή μου· ταῦτα πάντα τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος εὐφροσύνην καὶ παράκλησιν δι' αἰνιγμάτων παραδηλοῖ. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν δέδεικται, τίς ὁ τῆς εὐσεβείας σκοπὸς ὃν χρὴ προκεῖσθαι τοῖς τὸν θεοφιλῆ βίον ζῆν αἱρουμένοις, ὅς ἐστι ψυχῆς καθαρισμὸς καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν προκοπῆς ἐνοίκησις, ἕκαστος ὑμῶν κατὰ τὸν 8,1.80 ὑποδειχθέντα τρόπον παρασκευάσας τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ μεστὴν θείου ποιήσας ἔρωτος οὕτως ἀποδότω ἑαυτὸν ταῖς τε εὐχαῖς καὶ <ταῖς> νηστείαις κατὰ τὸ αὐτοῦ θέλημα, μεμνημένος τοῦ παρακαλοῦντος τὸ Ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύ χεσθε καὶ Τῇ εὐχῇ προσκαρτεροῦντες, καὶ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου ἐπαγγελίας, ἐν ᾗ φησι· Πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ θεὸς ποιήσει τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν βοώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας· Ἔλεγεν γάρ φησιν καὶ παραβολὴν πρὸς τὸ δεῖν πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν· ὅτι δὲ ἡ περὶ τὴν εὐχὴν σπουδὴ μεγάλα χαρίζεται καὶ αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ πνεῦμα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐνοικίζει, δηλοῖ σαφῶς δι' ὧν προτρέπει ἡμᾶς ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγων· ∆ιὰ πάσης προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως προσευχόμενοι ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀγρυπνοῦντες ἐν πάσῃ προσκαρτερήσει καὶ δεήσει. ὥστε εἴ τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει τῶν ἀρετῶν ἑαυτὸν ἀποδίδωσι, τῷ τῆς εὐχῆς λέγω, καλὸν θησαυρὸν 8,1.81 περιέπει καὶ ἐρᾷ τοῦ μεγίστου κτήματος· μόνον συντόνῳ καὶ ὀρθῇ συνειδήσει τοῦτο ποιείτω ἕκαστος, μηδαμοῦ κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν ἑκουσίως περιπλανώμενος μηδὲ ὥσπερ ἀκούσιον ἀποδιδοὺς ὑπ' ἀνάγκης χρέος, ἀλλ' ἔρωτα καὶ πόθον ἀποπληρῶν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς τῆς παρα μονῆς καρποὺς πᾶσιν ἐπιδεικνύς· χρὴ δὲ καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς διδόναι τῷ τοιούτῳ καιρὸν καὶ συγχαίρειν τῇ παραμονῇ τῆς προσευχῆς, ὅπως καὶ αὐτοὶ μετάσχωσι τῶν ἀγαθῶν καρπῶν, ἅτε δὴ κοινωνοὶ τοῦ τοιούτου βίου τῷ συνή δεσθαι γεγονότες. δώσει δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν ὅπως εὔχεσθαι δεῖ κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· Ὁ διδοὺς εὐχὴν τῷ εὐχομένῳ. δεῖ οὖν αἰτεῖν καὶ εἰδέναι τὸν τῇ εὐχῇ προσ καρτεροῦντα πράγματι τοσούτῳ μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς καὶ πάσης δυνάμεως ἐναθλεῖν τῷ ἀγῶνι. τὰ γὰρ μεγάλα ἆθλα μεγάλων δεῖται καὶ πόνων, ἐπειδὴ μάλιστα ἡ κακία τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐφεδρεύει, πανταχόθεν περιεργαζομένη καὶ περι τρέχουσα καὶ ζητοῦσα περιτρέψαι τὴν σπουδήν. ἐκεῖθεν ὕπνος καὶ βάρησις σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς μαλακία καὶ ἀκηδία καὶ ὀλιγωρία καὶ ἀνυπομονησία καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς κακίας <πάθη καὶ> ἐνεργήματα, δι' ὧν ἀπόλλυται ψυχὴ κατὰ μέρος ἁρπαζομένη καὶ αὐτομολοῦσα πρὸς τὸν ἐχθρὸν αὐτῆς.

8,1.82 Χρὴ οὖν ἐφεστάναι τῇ ψυχῇ καθάπερ σοφὸν κυβερνήτην τὸν λογισμὸν μηδαμοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐνδιδόντα πρὸς τὰς τοῦ πονηροῦ πνεύματος ταραχὰς μηδὲ τοῖς ἐκείνου κύμασι συμπεριφερόμενον, ἀλλ' εὐθὺ βλέποντα πρὸς τὸν ἄνω λι μένα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀκέραιον ἀποδιδόντα τῷ πιστεύσαντι καὶ ἀπαιτοῦντι θεῷ. οὐ γὰρ τὸ πεσεῖν ἐπὶ γόνυ καὶ ἐν τῷ σχήματι τῶν δι' εὐχὴν κειμένων ἐκτετάσθαι σπουδαῖον τῇ γραφῇ καὶ εὐάρεστον, τῆς διανοίας ἔξω τοῦ θεοῦ πλα νωμένης, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶσαν